Dr Malaka Kaluarachchi

Malaka is a Lecturer in Mechatronic engineering at ARU Peterborough. He received his MEng (Hons) degree in Mechatronic Engineering and PhD in Robotics from University of Nottingham. He also has a PG Cert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education from Kingston University.

[email protected]

Background

Malaka worked as a Research Fellow in Smart Systems and Robotics in the 5G Connected Forest (5GCF) project at Birmingham City University prior to joining ARU Peterborough.

As a Research Fellow, he conducted research activities on mechatronics and robotics section of the 5G Connected Forest project with his supervisor Prof Fawaz Y Annaz. Some of these activities were proposing technical solutions and development of robotic systems for the 5G Connected Forest Project.

Malaka provided positive contributions to the project identifying and providing effective solutions that lead towards the success of the project. One of the project deliverables (quadruped robotic system for forest health monitoring) he completed was nominated for the Most Innovative Use of 5G Technology award in the 5G Week Awards, UK.

Apart from this project, he has completed several research projects in robotics and mechatronics successfully during his doctoral and undergraduate studies. The research outputs of these projects have been published in high impact peer reviewed journals and conferences in the field of robotics.

One of the journal papers he published, introducing a novel design of a single motor, tendon driven redundant manipulator with reduced driving joint torques, is among the top ten all-time most read journal papers in the international Taylor & Francis journal Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines.

Malaka also serves as a reviewer for several journals, namely Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems (Springer); Journal of Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines (Taylor & Francis); Transactions of the Institute of Measurement & Control (Sage); Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering (Springer); and Nonlinear Dynamics Journal (Springer).

Research interests

• Industrial robotics
• Robot manipulator design
• Energy efficient robots
• Robotic mechanisms
• Underactuated robotics
• Mechatronics

Areas of research supervision

Malaka’s research mainly focuses on robotics and mechatronic systems, with a special interest in the areas of industrial robotics, robotic manipulator design, energy efficient robot design, robotic mechanism design, mobile robotics and underactuated robotics. He is interested in applying research work to industrial, agricultural and medical applications.

If you are interested in PhD studies or in research collaborations, you are welcome to contact Malaka at [email protected]

Teaching

• BEng Mechatronic Engineering
• BEng Manufacturing Engineering

Qualifications

• PhD, Mechanical (Robotics) Engineering, University of Nottingham
• MEng (Hons), Mechatronic Engineering, University of Nottingham
• PG Cert, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Kingston University

Memberships, editorial boards

• Member (MIET) of Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Reviewer for Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, Springer
• Reviewer for Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines, Taylor & Francis
• Reviewer for Transactions of the Institute of Measurement and Control, Sage
• Reviewer for Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Springer
• Reviewer for Nonlinear Dynamics, Springer

Selected recent publications

Kaluarachchi, M. M., Ho, J. H., Yahya, S. and Teh, S. H. (2018) 'Design of a bistable electromagnetic coupling mechanism for underactuated manipulators', Smart Materials and Structures, 27(7).

Kaluarachchi, M. M., Ho, J. H. and Yahya, S. (2018) 'Design of a single motor, tendon driven redundant manipulator with reduced driving joint torques', Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines, 46(5), pp. 591-614.

Kaluarachchi, M. M., Ho, J. H. and Yahya, S. (2015) 'Kinematics analysis of a lightweight tendon manipulator design (abstract)', World Congress of Robotics (WCR-2015), Shenyang, China.

Annaz, F. Y. and Kaluarachchi, M. M. (2014) 'Development of a soft teaching pendant for a Six Axis Manipulator', International Journal of Electronics, Computer and Communications Technologies, 4(2), pp. 5-12.

Kaluarachchi, M. M. and Annaz, F. Y. (2013) 'Virtual grid combined with virtual teach pendant development for positioning and for controlling of 6 Axis robot manipulator', International Conference on Control, Automation and Robotics, Singapore, WASET.

Kaluarachchi, M. M. and Annaz, F. Y. (2012) 'GUI teaching pendant development for 6 Axis articulated robot', Trends in Intelligent Robotics, Automation and Manufacturing Communications in Computer and Information Science, 330, pp. 111-118.

Recent presentations and conferences

Session Chair for the Intelligent Systems and Robotics track, IEEE WIESymp, 2022.